Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Cal Pur.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Cal Pur.
The new Calibrachoa is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gilroy, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Calibrachoas with uniform plant growth habit and flowering and flowers that remain open.
The new Calibrachoa originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 2000 of a proprietary Calibrachoa selection identified as 22-2, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Calibrachoa selection identified as 159-3, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Calibrachoa was selected as a single flowering plant from the resulting progeny by the Inventor in a controlled environment in April, 2001 in Gilroy, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Gilroy, Calif. since April, 2001 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Cal Pur have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Cal Purxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Cal Purxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Uniform, outwardly spreading, low mounding and trailing plant habit.
2. Freely and continuous branching habit; dense and bushy plant growth habit.
3. Very freely flowering habit, numerous dark purple-colored flowers with yellow-colored throats.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gilroy, Calif., plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa flowered earlier than plants of the female parent selection.
3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the female parent selection differed in flower coloration as plants of the female parent selection had dark lavender-colored flowers.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gilroy, Calif., plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were not as upright as plants of the male parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had larger flowers than plants of the male parent selection.
3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the male parent selection differed in flower coloration as plants of the male parent selection had light magenta-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the Calibrachoa cultivar Liricashower Stonewash, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gilroy, Calif., plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivar Liricashower Stonewash in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were compact and had shorter lateral branches than plants of the cultivar Liricashower Stonewash.
2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had darker purple-colored flowers with darker yellow-colored throats than plants of the cultivar Liricashower Stonewash.
3. Petals of plants of the new Calibrachoa were shinier than petals of plants of the cultivar Liricashower Stonewash.